Category Russia

Fake: Ukraine Arrests and Tortures American Blogger Gonzalo Lira “For Criticizing Zelenskyi”

Blogger Gonzalo Lira is in custody not for criticizing Volodymyr Zelenskyi, but for violating Article 436-2 of Ukraine's Criminal Code - justifying Russian aggression against Ukraine. In particular, Lira publicly justified Russia's attack on Ukraine, denied Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and mass killings of civilians in Bucha and other cities, revealed the location and identities of Western journalists and the Ukrainian military. Additionally, there is no evidence that any torture was used against Gonzalo Lira.

December 11, 2023
Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings International community Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine USA

Video Fake: Ukrainian Military Leaving Their Positions in Bilohorivka

The video was most likely edited. There is a discrepancy between the facial expressions of the man and the words he is saying. In addition, the landscape and weather conditions depicted in the video suggest that the original video was filmed before winter began. Additionally, the press service of the 119th separate brigade of the Military Police in the Chernihiv region stated that the person in the video does not serve in their unit.

December 10, 2023
AI-generated images Coordinated disinformation Fact checks / debunkings Methods Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda Ukraine

Fake: German Defense Minister Refuses to Consider Ukraine an Ally

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius did not say that Ukraine is not an ally of Germany. In an interview with the German TV channel ZDF, he only emphasized that Ukraine is not a NATO partner of Germany and therefore the format of providing it with military aid is different than if the "united West" were directly at war with Russia.

FactChecking the Fourth GOP Primary Debate

Christie derided Ramaswamy's plan for ending Russia's war in Ukraine, saying it would concede to Russia "all the land they've already stolen" and keep Ukraine from joining NATO (although Christie misspoke, saying the plan would keep Ukraine out of Russia). In exchange, Christie said, Ramaswamy would trust Russian President Vladimir Putin "not to have a relationship with China."

Ramaswamy shot back, "That's not my deal."
But it seems to be a mostly accurate synopsis of what Ramaswamy had proposed in June and refers to as the "reasonable peace deal."

December 7, 2023
Fact checks / debunkings Negotiations and peace deals Russia Ukraine USA

China Sows Disinformation About Hawaii Fires Using New Techniques

Beijing’s influence campaign using artificial intelligence is a rapid change in tactics, researchers from Microsoft and other organizations say.

December 6, 2023
2023 Hawaii wildfires China Chinese propaganda Disinformation Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda USA

Researchers: Disinformation campaign spread after wildfires slowed disaster response

A disinformation campaign that sprung up almost immediately after wildfires ravaged Maui was spread by China and Russia, researchers have concluded. And, they say, that campaign made the government’s response to the disaster even more difficult.

From weather warfare to floating bodies on another island to thousands of missing children to a Maui land grab, experts say online posts about the wildfires might have started as genuine concern. But they also said China and Russia are now using artificial intelligence to amplify false messages and spread fear, division and distrust in government.

December 6, 2023
2023 Hawaii wildfires China Chinese propaganda Disinformation Misconceptions Russia Russian propaganda USA

Saving by Spending: The True Value and Cost-Effectiveness of U.S. Aid to Ukraine

While the rising number of billions the United States is spending on aid to Ukraine keeps growing, the cost of aid to Ukraine is almost certain to remain comparatively low when compared to the total cost of U.S. security, is a vital investment in deterring future Russian and Chinese aggression, and is likely to save the United States substantial amounts of national security spending in the future.

December 5, 2023
Aid to Ukraine Fact checks / debunkings Military aid Russia Ukraine USA

Fake: Ukraine “Forced” Schoolchildren to Study in Shelters “for PR”

Due to Russian aggression and occupiers' attacks on civilian infrastructure, only a third of Ukrainian schoolchildren have the opportunity to study full-time in a face-to-face format. More than 4,100 schools in Ukraine have been destroyed or damaged. That is why Ukrainian schools practice mixed methods - online and offline - in safe shelters underground.

Bucha massacre: Satellite evidence and timeline

The timeline of events in Bucha is critical to understanding events around the 2022 massacre. Many narratives about Bucha hinge entirely on the order of events, and on the dates of certain pieces of evidence. In this article, we lay out several viral claims about the Bucha massacre, and show how each is either debunked or strengthened by the timeline of documented events.

Fake: Poland to Cease Payments to Ukrainian Refugees Since 2024

As of November 25, Poland has not announced that payments to Ukrainian refugees will be suspended from January 1, 2024. The screenshot, which propaganda alleges to originate from the Polish government website, was edited.